Hidden Talents uncovers innovation, collaboration and integrations to support its growth with Epos Now

Hidden Talents, a branding and communications agency based in Holt, Norfolk, specialises in providing brands with the tools they need to grow and thrive within the hospitality and online retail sector.

The business boasts an average turnover of £10 million across its seven sites, which include The Assembly House in Norwich, The Pigs pub in Edgefield and Norfolk Passport, a free-to-join membership programme giving members exclusive perks across leading Norfolk experiences.

Since it began, Hidden Talents has undergone significant growth, with further plans in the pipeline to add more venues to its existing roster. This growth meant Hidden Talents was under increasing pressure to invest in tools and services that would further the planned future expansion.

The demand on its existing POS system was growing rapidly, and it became apparent that the level of service it provided could no longer support the business and its current roster of clients. As such, Hidden Talents sought the help of Epos Now, a POS provider with significant expertise in the retail and hospitality sectors.

Jamie Perry, Head of Hidden Talents, explains how ensuring the right solution was found for each of its sites was essential. “Going between multiple sites, replacing the system and training staff was quite a daunting task, so it was vital to have a solutions provider that had expertise in the sector and would understand the differences of each site. We’re an extremely innovative business, so we needed a provider that would propel us forward as we aimed for new heights.”

Matching values

Epos Now’s matching ambitions and values were attractive to Jamie, who was delighted to find a POS provider that shared his vision. With no time to waste, the two teams began building a bespoke POS solution for each brand in Hidden Talents’ portfolio. However, as important as it was for a system to be built that would work in each individual location, a solution was also needed that would provide a business-wide view of performance when needed.

Jamie explains: “The really important thing for Hidden Talents was having a back office system that would allow individuals to easily pull out key performance data, exactly when they need it. This ensures each site has the correct product lines and the best chance of continued innovation. Furthermore, it means that everyone can get the slice of data they need, reducing the reliance on having one person responsible for data and empowering the whole team as a result.” In turn, using Epos Now has also enabled the till system to be updated as and when it is needed, ensuring innovation can stay at the forefront of each site.

Innovative integrations

For Norfolk Passport in particular, which generates sales close to £4million annually and has reached 100,000 sign-ups since the scheme began, there’s a huge demand for the system to deal with large volumes of customers on the loyalty scheme. Jamie continues: “The scheme’s API integrates directly with Epos Now’s Open API function, meaning the two systems sync together and work in tandem. This has dramatically reduced the amount of time staff spend manually transmitting data between the two platforms, which saved the business £15,000 in the first year alone. This has, in turn, enabled us to increase the customer experience and spend far more time on new business ventures and ideas, rather than needing lots of members of the team involved in just one aspect of the business.”

Another integration key to the success of Hidden Talents is Epos Now’s Bulk Import App, which, especially in the early stages of setting the systems up, was extremely valuable to Hidden Talents. Jamie adds: “We anticipated the process of uploading menus for the first time to be extremely challenging and very time-consuming. However, being able to bulk upload mass product information in the right format and the right categories, straight away, was a welcome surprise. It’s been a great addition for us, and has also saved a lot of time with ongoing maintenance, with the ability to add new product lines and menu items very easily. It’s been a game-changer for us.”

Jamie concludes: “If somebody’s looking to take on a new POS system and they need help and support, Epos Now is a great partner to work with. The system has enabled us to better manage our business and come up with creative ideas and we continue to build a very good relationship as we develop our respective products.”

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